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5/31/12

Sunny Side Up

Here is a little mental letter I wrote this morning when I woke up to...SUN! Actual sun in San Diego!

Dear San Diego, 


I wish you knew how pretty you are when you are sunny. This May Gray/June Gloom situation does not suit you very well. You are one of the prettiest cities in the world and I don't understand why you hide under this gray marine layer during two of the best months of the year. You glow in the sun - your beaches are brighter and your buildings sparkle. You are at your best in the sun, SD. Stay this way! 


Love,
me


So I took my own advice as I started to pull an all black outfit out of my closet and switched to a sunnier get-up. Hey, I want to sparkle too! And nothing helps you sparkle more than a big, bright yellow purse, right? (I love you Louis V. - your EPI purses are my favorite. So classic!)





What are your favorite bright accessories? Do you like adding color in your purses, shoes or jewelry?

Oh and speaking of bright and yellow...there is still time to enter my lace necklace giveaway!! If you want something bright to make your outfit pop, you definitely need one of these! Right?


To enter, click here or click on the image below and learn how to submit an entry! You know you want one!!! UPDATE 6/5 - CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. If you are interested in buying one of these necklaces, please visit my Etsy store -http://www.etsy.com/shop/ClassywithaKick 






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5/30/12

Swim Candy: Pakaloha Bikinis



I'm in a Hawaiian state of mind...

We are headed to Hawaii in a little over a month and I'm at that point where I just want to sleep a lot so that July gets here faster! How am I going to wait a whole month???

There are many things I love about Hawaii. The list is way too long to write (and I would probably bore you) but for the purpose of this blog, I am going to focus on one thing - Pakaloha bikinis!
**Disclaimer, Pakaloha is not a sponsor and I am not receiving anything from them. These are my own opinions.**

While spending the day in Lahaina (Maui) last year, I found this cute little bathing suit shop tucked away next to the customized bath salts shop. The shop was small but they had an enormous selection of mix and match suits in a rainbow of color.

The idea behind Pakaloha is to combine quality and comfort with sexy. Each piece is designed to flatter and support everyone from the most dedicated surfer to the pool-lounger-who-sometimes-goes-on-the-water-slide-tourist (me).

Each piece is sold separately so you can mix and match styles, colors and sizes. If you think about it, we don't buy jeans and tops together in the same exact size - so why do most bikinis come in one size? That has always bothered me and so many brands still do it that way...

Anyway, what I love MOST about Pakaloha suits are that they don't have elastic in the "cheek" area of their bottoms so they are really flattering on all size behinds! Their bottoms are a bit smaller in the back, but it is a true fact that having less material can actually be better for those that have a little junk in the trunk (again, me).

Pakaloha just did a web redesign and they have a fun mix and match feature to find your perfect suit. By now you know how I love using online mixing and matching!

Here is what I put together as my faves for the season...


Featured - 1. Baby Beach top, Ka'anapali bottom. 2. Ka'anapali top, Honolua bottom. 3.Ho'okipa top, Ka'anapali bottom



What suits are you loving for this summer? Do you have any bathing suit tips to share?



**Oh and don't forget you still have time to enter the Lace Necklace giveway...click here to read more and find out how to enter to win! UPDATE 6/5 - CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. If you are interested in buying one of these necklaces, please visit my Etsy store -http://www.etsy.com/shop/ClassywithaKick 





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5/29/12

DIY Neon Lace Bib Necklaces and a Giveaway!

Neon Lace Bib Necklace

I am a dreamer when it comes to art/design projects. I envision myself only wearing clothing that I design. I believe my entire house should be decorated in original paintings that I paint myself (I have yet to paint one painting - FYI). I also want to wear only jewelry that I create.

I think this stems from my desire to be original and a trendsetter. Being a trendsetter doesn't always mean you thought of the idea yourself and have rights to the original concept; it means you can be influenced by something and then share it with others. You bring it into YOUR circle even if it already exists in other circles.

Recently, I came across this pin on Pinterest and fell in love with the necklace (actually the whole outfit is pretty fab...).

I then did a search for lace necklaces on Google, found this blog post on In Honor of Design and got inspired by how easy it is to create yourself.

I immediately went out and got my supplies and got to work.

Here is what I used to make them:

DIY Lace Necklace


1. Fabric Paints - make sure these are permanent!
2. Paint brushes - I used a medium and a small to get into the little spaces!
3. 5mm chain, jump rings and clasps - super easy to find. I got mine at Michaels
4. Needle nose pliers
5. Lace appliques - I got these from local fabric store, but ordered some new ones from this Etsy store.

Within a matter of minutes (well, hours if you count drying time & painting on both sides), I had these fab lace necklaces!

Neon Lace Bib Necklaces

Here I am wearing one! (Like the self portrait in the car?? I swear the car parked next to me was laughing!)

Pink Lace Necklace


I am now so addicted that I want one in every color! I even have more lace in the mail and a slew of fabric paint colors ready to go (think Coral, Mint, Neon Green, Orange, etc)!

Because I am going to be necklace making machine, I had a thought to do a GIVEAWAY for one lucky reader! My first one!!!

Introducing the first...

Win a Lace Necklace

If any of you would like to win a lace bib necklace - created by me of course - enter to win by doing the following:

1. Pin one of the images from this post on Pinterest (you can even repin from here)
2. Follow Classy with a Kick on Twitter, Like Classy with a Kick on Facebook
4. Subscribe to Classy with a Kick via feedburner or bloglovin

In addition those, you must post a comment below to tell me:
1. That you did the things above
2. What color necklace you would like to win (I ordered almost every color so you have your pick)
3. What you plan to wear it with. (I have to know how you will accessorize!)

I'll pick a random winner early next week so you have all week/weekend to enter!

UPDATE 6/5 - CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. If you are interested in buying one of these necklaces, please visit my Etsy store -http://www.etsy.com/shop/ClassywithaKick 

Good luck!!


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Lace Necklace Giveaway

Getting to know...Flats!

Pigs are in flight somewhere...I bought my first pair of flats!

Ok to be fair, they are not REALLY flat-flats and I do own a few fairs of non-platform flip flops and some sneakers, but compared to my closet full of platforms and wedges, this are F-L-A-T!

Introducing my new shoesies...


I am obsessed with the Sanuk Yoga Mat flip flops for causal days and bumming around the house so when I first saw these at a cute little surf shop in La Jolla, I was intrigued. Then I tried them on and sort of fell in love. They were so comfy and light. I've been wearing a lot of crops lately (my Hudson jeans that I talked about here are my faves right now) and these go really well with them.

And they SORT of resemble the cute Soludos espadrilles at J. Crew and ASOS which I have been eyeing lately. I mean, they are both canvas, considered "beach" shoes and are flat, right??

I figure I can start with these babies and see if I actually wear them. If so, I can feel more justified splurging on these which I REALLY want.

What are you thoughts on these kinds of flats/beach shoes? Are you a fan or do you hate them?



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5/28/12

FFFP: Dangers of the Scarf Shirt

Ok this FFFP (Fashion Flashback Faux Pas) post is super embarrassing but SUCH a great story, I had to share it. Beware, it's cringeworthy but I promise it is 100% true.

Summer 2004
Las Vegas, NV

During the summer of 2004, I was on a serious health kick. I has just moved to Las Vegas and was only working part time so I had lots of time and motivation to get in shape. I was also spending about 1-2 hours at the pool each day working on my tan. Needless to say, I was skinny and tan - the perfect mix for skimpy clothing.

At the time, Bebe (great for Vegas clubwear) had a line of handkerchief tops. They were basically tiny little silk tops that tied at the neck and were totally backless except for a small tie on the back - like this:


I lived in these tops...I had three but it wasn't enough. I wanted more but I had already bought all of the ones Bebe carried. Since they looked like scarves, I had this great idea to take an actual silk scarf, fold it in half to make a triangle and then tie it in the back. It looked just like the other tops and there were SO many different scarf patterns out there! I thought I had hit a goldmine. Not only could I make tons of new tops - I never had worry about someone having the same outfit on!

Around that time, a few of my girlfriends came into town for a bachelorette party and a small group of us decided to hit up the famous male dance review - The Thunder From Down Under. To catch you up, TFDU is like the Chippendales but with Australian accents. I decided to wear my leopard print homemade scarf top for this particular outing. It was a male "dancer" show so animal print seemed appropriate. We ended up getting to the show a bit late so they gave us a table up in front because another party had not shown. Lucky us, we had front row seats! Usually that is a good thing but not so much for this type of show; things are a bit too close, if you know what I mean.

Mid-way through the show during a lovely performance to "At the Carwash", I felt a tickle under my scarf shirt and realized the inside layer was sticking out. I GENTLY pulled it and before I knew it, my ENTIRE TOP HAD FALLEN OFF. And the worst part was, it was double knotted in the back so there was no quick way to resolve this issue. I screamed and asked for my girlfriends to help as I was sitting there TOPLESS (oh and there is no way to wear a bra under a scarf shirt FYI) and they were so busy laughing at me, no one would help!

Finally I felt a towel hit my head and I saw that one of the Thunder From Down Under performers had thrown it to me. It registered immediately afterwards that he obviously saw my "predicament" and wanted to help. In other words, he saw me sans scarf top!

It was all a blur after that but I remember using the towel to cover up and having someone FINALLY help me get my shirt back on. I was completely mortified. I mean, who gives the strippers a show at their own show???

The night ended with the entire TFDU crew bringing on stage to take a picture with them and dragging me into their dressing room to have them applaud me. It was mortifying to say the least but they tried to make light of it. We ended up at a party with some of them later that night and you can bet I got made fun of the entire night. I still cringe when I think of it...I can't believe it actually happened to me!

Moral of this FFFP Story:  If you are going to wear a scarf top, wear something under it and DO NOT tug at it under any circumstances. Oh and when going to a male "dancer" show, try your hardest to keep your own clothes on...the performers are the ones who are supposed to be taking their clothes off!

For a more "safe" and more updated take on this look without the scarf, try something like this!























Featured Items - Lightning bolt necklace & Leopard Earrings - ASOS, Judith Leiber Zodiac Clutch - Neiman Marcus, Rachel Zoe Cheetah Ruffle Tank, Leather Leggings - similar here,  Alexis Bittar Cuff - Bloomingdales, Steve Madden Dejavu Platforms.

Have you had an outfit malfunction before? What do you usually wear in Vegas?

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5/25/12

Convertible Clothing - One Item, Two Ways



It's really important to be innovative when it comes to clothing. When you consider buying an item, you most likely think about what you have in your wardrobe to go with it. You decide which shoes will go best and which purse will work well. You look at the item's versatility and how you can pair it with other pieces. This is totally normal...we all do this.

The one thing I always do is look at a piece not just as a single item, but at how it can transform itself and be something else. How can a skirt not just be a skirt? What other things can I do with a scarf besides wear it on my neck? By looking at a item this way, you can build an entire wardrobe with just a few pieces!

I call these types of items "convertible clothing" and here are some examples...

1. Long Skirt as a Maxi Dress
I discovered this convertible piece by accident. I was obsessing over buying a black and white striped maxi dress last year and could not find one that I liked enough (except the Rugby dress that I mentioned here - I wish I had a time machine!). I did, however find this adorable maxi skirt from Hive & Honey on  Piperlime and I kept thinking I wish it was a dress! After thinking about it, I realized why could I not make into a dress? I ordered a size up (M) and used it as a strapless maxi dress; exactly what I had been wanting! Now I wear the skirt both ways and have two pieces instead of one!


**Tip - I went a size up because I didn't want armpit fat rollover, but when you try it, see what works best for you. The skirt should have decent elastic in the waist to keep it up when wearing it as a dress. If not, it probably won't work. If it fits but you are concerned about it falling, use a bit of fabric tape to keep it from sliding down and/or wear a strapless bra to give it some friction. Oh and experiment with folding over the top as a dress or a skirt...this will give you some versatility and help you adjust the length!

2. Shorter skirt as a strapless mini dress
This was also a fun discovery. I found a very cute coral and creme chevron patterned skirt while browsing Old Navy for some basic tanks last year. I loved the skirt, but kept thinking it would have cuter as a dress. So guess what I did? I found it in one size up and made it into a short strapless dress! This item is a MUST for packing for sunny vacation spots - you can wear it multiple times as completely different pieces! Oh and as a dress, it may be a little too A-Line and flowy for you; if that's the case, add a cute belt and cinch it in!


**Tip - Same applies as above. Make sure it fits up top and does not fall down! Oh and check the length. This works well for me b/c I am 5'2" but if you are super tall, the dress may be...well, a little inappropriate. But it never hurts to try!

3. Scarf as a shirt
Ok, this works for some people. I have to say it can be very dangerous - see my FFFP post here for more details on the danger of scarf tops - but also pretty fun! They key is to get a large scarf - like a wrap - and get creative with it. Wrap it like a halter, use it like a tube top - even twist and turn it into a dolman sleeve top! Check out the video tutorial from American Apparel to give you some ideas! I own a green one and have recently used it as a tube top like the one below.



4. Pants as crops 
This is easy but not a lot of people do this. Take your favorite pair of skinny jeans and roll them up with wide cuffs and ta-da - cropped jeans. I mean, why buy these (although they are very cute) when you can take an existing pair of skinny jeans and get the same look!

Hudson Jeans (Skinny & Cropped) - Nordstrom

**This is a really cute with colored denim - esp when the cuffs are lighter. You get a fun two-toned look!


Other ideas...

4. Stretch waist mini skirt as a tube top (similar to #1 and #2 above)
5. Socks as leggings - Kidding...but it HAS been done.
6. Dresses tucked into pants as shirts - I actually do this a lot with sweater dresses

These are just a few examples of how you can maximize your wardrobe by looking at items differently and playing around with them to see what works!

And now it's time for a little challenge for you - and a contest!!
Take a second look at your own closet and find some convertible clothes that you already own. Once you do, share your secrets with us in the comments below and/or email me (pictures are great!) and I might feature you in an upcoming post!

Good luck & happy Memorial Day weekend!!

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5/24/12

So Many Sales...So Little Time!


It's Memorial Day weekend...time for bbq's, beer (or skinny margaritas for me - details on MY version later), and blowing your bank account on the fantastic sales!

Here is my list of sales that I am for sure taking advantage of this weekend:

1. Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale - of course! 
Nordstrom always has amazing sales and if you have a Nordies credit or debit card - you get double points today - extra bonus. Here is what I have my eye on...


2. J. Crew - Extra 30% off Sale Items - Use code LOVEIT at checkout.
I'm always up for a good J. Crew sale. I'm thinking of getting a couple of the following items...

Featured items - J. Crew Sale

3. Gap - Up to 40% off
Gap always has sales so if you like an item, keep an eye out. I have been waiting for a sale to get these yellow jeans but I see my size is sold out online. Guess I have to go into the store to find them...oh darn.


4. Rugby by Ralph Lauren - 25% off
Rugby has really cute dresses and summer attire. They are big into stripes so I always find something I love there. Last year I went CRAZY (really, I did) for this chevron black and white maxi dress that I waited too long to get and missed out. This year, I vow that if I like something, I get it. Especially if it's on sale! I'm thinking of these striped items...


Of course I am going to hit up H&M as mentioned in yesterday's post and then we will see what else strikes my eye! So exciting...

Where are you shopping this weekend? Do you take advantage of holiday sales?



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5/23/12

Fun with the HM Dressing Room - Feeling Flowery

I'm SO going to H&M this weekend.

I need to purchase all of these things**


Outfits created by me on H&M.com 

**Well maybe not the flats on look #2 - still not 100% sold on flat shoes if they aren't flip flops or sneakers. It's tough being 5'2"!

I could spend all day creating outfits on H&M.com. I am so lucky they don't have online shopping yet. I would be in serious trouble!!

Do you use the H&M dressing room tool?

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5/22/12

Inspired by...Tulips!

Today we had a photo shoot for our condo since we are putting it on the market (again). The realtors suggested I pick up a colorful floral arrangement for the shoot to add some color to our rather neutral living room.

An excuse to go out and get fresh flowers?? Yeah...I think I can do that!

I ran down the street and was overwhelmed by the beautiful flowers at the local flower shop. I was deciding between some AMAZING stargazer lilies and a beautiful bamboo/white lily combo (not enough color) and was suddenly struck by the beauty of this arrangement of orange tulips. I had to have them and a few dollars later, they were mine!


Simple and gorgeous, right??

After the hustle and bustle of the photo shoot, I was so inspired by the colors of my new tulips that I based tonight's outfit on them; mixing neutrals with bright orange and greens. I know I did orange yesterday but what can I say; I guess I am on an orange kick!

Featured items - Sweater, shirt, belt and shorts - J. Crew, Sunnies - Prada, Necklace - ASOS,
Suede Wrap BraceletRalph Lauren, Wedges - Tory Burch

We're heading out to happy hour at the local bar down the street and I promise to buy anyone a drink who tells me my outfit reminds them of orange tulips. My guess is my wallet is pretty safe!

Which of your favorite outfits was inspired by an object? Do you get inspiration from plants & flowers?


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5/21/12

Orange you glad it's Monday??

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend!

For today's outfit of the day, I felt inspired by the ever-present marine layer here in San Diego. The marine layer (affectionately called "May Gray" and "June Gloom") makes the skies all gray and hazy. Usually it only lasts in the morning but it's known to stay all day.

It was especially gray this morning so I wanted to brighten things up with a pop (or two) of color. Last monday, I did it with pink; a few weeks ago, I added some yellow, and today I was feeling orange. I missed my weekly spray tan appointment last week (yes, I spray tan and am proud of it!), and orange seems to work well with my skin tone sans the glorious mystic tan glow.

So I went with blues and oranges for the day...


Featured items - Orange braided necklace & Gold and orange bangles - Style Studio SD, Sweater - J. Crew (similar here), Preppy Cotton Shirt - Nordstrom,  Gucci Sunglasses, Kate Spade purse, Jessica Simpson Danys, True Religion Jeans - similar here), Tory Burch belt - similar here.

I was really excited to wear a few pieces of jewelry I got from my favorite new local jewelry & accessories boutique - Style Studio SD. Style Studio is run by two of my most favorite friends, Katherine and Liz. Kat and Liz just opened their home & web-based boutique a few months ago and I recently went to one of their shopping parties and spent WAY too much money. But I am in love with everything I got, so it was worth it! Style Studio will be launching their website soon so in the meantime, check out some of their awesome items on their Facebook page and drop them a line. Make sure to tell them I sent you! :)

Oh and before I go, here's a pic of my Monday orange and gold arm party - (doesn't my office floor make you dizzy?) **I'm still working on getting that camera to start taking real outfit pictures but this iphone + cameraplus image will have to do for now!

Getting Crazy with my Arm Party!


How do you feel about wearing orange? Is it a trendy color for you or a staple?

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